12 of the best... mice

Rodent wars

Macally mGlide Wireless Mouse

No round-up would be complete without at least one device in Mac-a-like white and Macally's shiny new mGlide fits the bill perfectly. Beyond its sleek and sexy aesthetics, what we really like about the mGlide is its tiny USB dongle for wireless connectivity ¬– it’s one of the smallest wireless we have seen – and the way the body slides open to reveal space for two AA batteries and a home for the USB connector. When you clip the dongle into this housing, the mouse automatically switches itself off and comes back to life when you remove it. This strikes us as a pretty effective way of ensuring you don't leave it switched on and don't lose the dongle either. A fully ambidextrous design, all the buttons on the mGlide are programmable for both Mac and Windows users.

Evoluent VerticalMouse 3 Wireless

Evoluent's VerticalMouse is another design that aims to reduce the risk of RSI, this time by taking the conventional mouse design and turning it on its side rather than on its head. We found the VerticalMouse a little easier to get used to than 3G's Ergonomic Mouse, simply because the buttons were pretty much in the same place – relative to our palm – as on a standard mouse. It’s just the angle of the arm that is different. The device itself really is a very comfy fit in the hand and even has a little lip at the bottom to prevent mouse mat burn on the pinky. Although the VerticalMouse comes with five buttons, they are really only of use to Window's users. Plug it into a Mac or Linux box and can only use the normal left and right click buttons. ®